Their effects on overall health may not be quite as severe as the real thing, but research suggests that electronic-cigarettes can be just as detrimentally habit-forming and standard tobacco. Worse still, a new study carried out at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication suggests that national marketing campaigns for the devices are leading to dangerous tobacco cravings in smokers, non-smokers and those attempting to quite alike.

While the law on glamorizing tobacco smoking has been clear for some time, the e-cigarette industry is in general free to portray a wholly one-side argument for the potentially harmful devices. Furthermore, campaign groups remain deeply concerned with the way in which such advertising campaigns targ...